Ed Note: While picking up grain at our Denver grain sale in April, customer Pete Dunn felt led of the Holy Spirit to give me the following paper, Lessons from the Refiner's Fire, the day before my late husband Duane passed away. It is reprinted here by permission. Marilyn Moll

For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined…We went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment. Psalm 66:10,12

These are some lessons that have come from our walk through the Refiner’s Fire with my 20-year-old son, Andy, since he was diagnosed with an aggressive lymphoma on March 13, 2008 AD.

1. Life is frail; it hangs in the balance like a passing vapor.

Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (Job 7:7, Psalm 39:5)

2. The Lord does not serve you anything more than you can handle. He prepares the hearts of those who are to receive.

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (Isaiah 64:4)

3. Through the Refiner’s Fire, you come to experience the love and intimacy of God in a new way!

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord…for whom the Lord loves He chastens. Hebrews 12:5,6 (Proverbs 3:11,12)

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Philippians 3:10

4. Through the Refiner’s Fire, you learn to prioritize; the dross and waste floats to the surface…

Yet indeed I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8

5. Through the Refiner’s Fire, you learn to treasure greatly family, friends, and saints.

I thank God…as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you… 2 Timothy 1:3,4

6. Once you are in the Refiner’s Fire, you can’t ask “What if...?” or “Why didn’t I...?”.

Brethren, I do not count myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14

7. Through the Refiner’s Fire, the Gospel of Jesus Christ becomes very real; apart from it there is no hope!

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3,4